Oregon Dunes, OHV enthusiast are the Endangered Species.

[Sandflicker]

We now need all the help - we can get - to get this information out to any one that cares about riding the dunes.

These are not small changes.

[/size][/color]

Oregon Dunes, OHV enthusiast are the Endangered Species.

 

Like you, I am an avid OHV enthusiast. We are family, we love our chosen sport and we are environmentalist. The greenies could care less and are willing to put large sums of money to kill our recreation.

 

I want to get the word out through an educational effort that in the 1994 Forest Plan, the FS closed all but 36% of the ODNRA (Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area). Of that 36%; 15% is designated “routes only”. To use their language, they Zoned the dunes. Attached is the Zoning and history. 10A is closed, 10B is open riding and 10C is Designated Routes only. The rest of the zoning is self explanatory. Part of this plan is to create “Work Groups” to review the 10C and come up with recommendations to where the trails are going to be within the 10C. I am part of that work group.  Please go on line to see this information: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/siuslaw/projects/rec-plans-projects/dunes-routes/index.shtml. They just made it official that 15% (10C) will be closed with the exception of a very few connector trails that the work group is deciding upon now. Please understand that the workgroup is only an advisory group and the Forest Service is obligated to look at all options before they make the final decision. In other words, they will do what they want. They are anticipating a law suit from the greenies challenging their decision one way or the other. The greenies have already sued to stop the trail for Riley Ranch access. We have advanced notice through this law suit that we must step up with our written efforts and our pocket books to fight back. They want it all closed and designated Wilderness.  Ignorance is not Bliss! We must educate ourselves to understand that this is not the end. They are going to do a new Forest plan in 2014 so we must band together. California and Washington OHV groups have done a fairly good job of working together but the Oregon effort is poor and spotty at best. When I got involved with this work group I was very ignorant. I am not ignorant anymore, I am SCARED. If we do not get involved we will as a group lose what we have left and we all will be STUPID because we did not get involved.

 

What we have left to ride on is about 25% of the 28,930 acres of the ODNRA, only about 7,200 acres will be open to riding. We just went through the process at the Middle Dunes (Winchester) which does not have much 10C but Banshee Hill is in the mix. The North Riding Area (Florence) is scary at best with most of the plantation stands off the table. By the map, half of the Florence dunes are in play. The Southern Riding area (Coos Bay) is being looked at in the next month. The public is invited to these meetings so go on the FS web page above to get the dates and locations.

 

Some lessons learned are the economic impact and the safety of riders is very low on the priority list. VERY LOW. The Forest Service charter is to manage “Resources” first and foremost. That means vegetation, wetlands, and Critical Habitat for plants and animals. We are indeed an endangered species in the ODNRA. I thought that any economic impact would be huge. If you look at what the FS and BLM did with the spotted owl, then you can clearly see that economics will not come into play. That killed an industry and left the Pacific Northwest without jobs and money. The way they are going to regulate safety is to limit the amount of riders that can enjoy the dunes on any given weekend. They have already studied how many riders the 25% of dunes available can hold without hurting ourselves. Restrictions are a given.

 

Hopefully you can see why I am SCARED. We do have one very important opportunity that I feel we need to legally pursue. That is the simple, well documented fact that the dunes are being choked off and are indeed dying. The European Beach Grass planted in the early 1910 is slowly but surly killing the dunes. It is also killing Snowy Plover Habitat. We are the only cost effective documented way of killing the beach grass. I will try and post several research papers documenting this fact. A brief explanation is the dunes were created with sand flowing out of the Umpqua River. The wind and surf would push and blew the sand inland and accumulate to the dunes we see today. The beach grass is building the walls you see on the beach and the sand has stopped moving inland. As the grass stabilizes flowing sand that allows other bad plants like scotch broom to grow and eventually trees and forest that do not belong there. It has also killed grasses and plants that are native to the dunes. The FS and the BLM simply do not know what to do so they just keep doing what they always have and manage this “new” vegetation like it was always there. Flowing Sand is not Forest. The greenies are pushing this view as they want nobody in the dunes. The other point we must make is the fact that the bad vegetation is not just standing still but growing exponentially faster. The longer they wait the worse it gets.

 

A Call to action.

What I am proposing to do as the next step is to work together to build a war chest to start legal action against the Forest Service. They need to continue to move ahead with a trail access for Riley Ranch. We also need to start legal action against the Forest Service to allow OHV access to more areas to kill beach grass. We must understand that they do have to manage the ODNRA for other users so let them have the 60% that is now closed for other uses. Those dunes will eventually die anyway and if that is what they want then let it happen. Seems stupid to me but… I propose to work with the Blue Ribbon Coalition http://www.sharetrails.org/magazine/article.php?legal=1 and have them set up a place on their web page for us to go in and donate money. We need a commitment from ourselves to the BRC to fund any legal action moving forward. Please visit the BRC and let them know you are willing to donate. We do not need a bunch of money to start the legal action. If the 300,000 or so OHV folks that visit the ODNRA donated a buck we would have plenty. I also encourage folks to join the BRC as they have successfully stopped the greenies across the US from closures. I am a Lifetime Member and very proud of it.

 

One other point I must bring up that is very unpopular among OHVers is the noise we make. The legal noise limit on the ODNRA is 93 db. I will not argue whether this is right or wrong, it is just a fact. I have finally found a chamber muffler for my Raptor 700 that gives me plenty of power and still stays within legal limits. I am in no way advocating this brand but there are very few manufactures that are willing to give us good power and keep the noise to a legal limit. Repacking is a waste of time especially with the 450. That manufacture is Leo Vince. Ron Gray at Bay Area Yamaha has them and they are not that expensive. Hopefully American Manufactures will start making these chamber type mufflers available. You have no idea how much grief we are taking with the Work Group and we are killing ourselves with this single issue. Please ride in the ODNRA within legal limits. If you can not, please stay away. I want to ride in the dunes, not make a point that my whanger is bigger than yours.

 

Please work with your respective groups to assign a single person that can communicate with me so I can manage answers to any questions. This is real and we have already lost too much. I would love to set up a conference type call with your groups to discuss this and any questions you may have. We are trying to set up a web page so folks can talk about this. I am not a tech savvy guy so Barbara and Lance Rowland in Florence will help. I will let you know ASAP.

 

Please get back to your designated group member that you are willing to be a part of the effort and donate money. Also forward this on to whom you feel is appropriate. The more the merrier.

 

Thanks so much,

Jody Phillips

 

[Dune Dude]

Some history behind the Dunes Management Plan and how it has changes over the years.

DD


(Meeting Handout) Chronology of OHV Designated Routes Issue on the ODNRA Key Events and Management Actions -1972 to Present
1972 -Executive Order 11644--Use of off-road vehicles on the public lands -Called for

several key things, as follows...

"...administrative designation of the specific areas and trails on public lands on which the use of off-

road vehicles may be permitted, and areas in which the use of off-road vehicles may not be

permitted..."

"...such areas and trails willbe based upon the protection of the resources of the public lands,

promotion of the safety of all users of those lands, and minimization of conflicts among the various

uses of those lands."

"(1) Areas and trails shall be located to minimize damage to soil, watershed, vegetation, or other resources of the public lands.

(2)
    Areas and trails shall be located to minimize harassment of wildlifeor significant disruption of wildlifehabitats.
(3)
    Areas and trails shall be located to minimize conflicts between off-road vehicle use and other existing or proposed recreational uses of the same or neighboring public lands, and to ensure the compatibility of such uses with existing conditions in populated areas, taking into

account noise and other factors."

1972 -Congress passes Public Law 92-260 creating the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area -"...to provide for the public outdoor recreation use and enjoyment of certain ocean shoreline and dunes, forested areas, fresh water lakes, and recreational facilities in the State of Oregon...and

the conservation of scenic, scientific, historic, and other values..."

1979 -Management Plan for the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area -Establishes a plan for management of OHV and other uses on the NRA. Expands previous OHV closure areas to include the area from the Siltcoos River to the Umpqua River. Prior to the 1979 plan, 91% of the NRAwas open to OHV use. Following implementation of the 1979 plan, 47% of the NRAwas open to OHV use.

1994 -Management Plan for the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area -Establishes separate management areas with differing resource emphases within the NRA. These management

areas or zones (lOA through 10l) restrict or allow OHVuse to varying degrees. The eleven management designations and associated acres so designates are as follows: 10 (A) -Non-MotorizedUndeveloped -7,830 acres (27%) 10 (B) -Off-RoadVehicleOpen-5,930 acres (21%) 10 (C)-ORVon DesignatedRoutes-4,455 acres (15%)

10 (D) -Developed Corridors -1,050 acres (4%) 10 (E) -Snowy Plover Habitat -1,010 acres (3%) 10 (F) -Plant, Fish and Wildlife Habitat -3,120 acres (11 %)

10 (G) -Wetlands Emphasis -2,540 acres (9%) 10 (H) -Wildlife and Fish Viewing -315 acres (1%) 10 (J) -Recommended Wild and Scenic River -1,090 acres (4%) 10 (K) -Research Natural Area -1,190 acres (4%) 10 (l) -Noise Control Buffer -370 acres (1%)

Management Areas where some level of OHV use is permitted: 10 (B) -Off-RoadVehicleOpen-relativelyunrestricted OHVuseinareas that are

predominantly open sand. May be localized areas within that are closed to OHVs protect special habitats or unique geologic features. 10 (C) -ORVon Designated Routes -Controlled opportunities for OHVriding and travel on

designated routes to reach the beach and other areas which are open to OHVuse. 10 (D) -Developed Corridors -OHVsonly permitted on roadways within developed facilities that are open to OHVuse. 10 (G) -Wetlands Emphasis -OHVuse only permitted on a limited number of designated routes. 10(l) -NoiseControlBuffer -From6:00A.M.to10:00P.M.OHVscantraveltoandfrom adjacent private land within east-west aligned corridors. Area is closed to OHVsfrom 10:00

P.M. to 6:00 A.M.
Summary of other OHV restrictions that resulted from 1994 Plan adoption and implementation:

1994:

Non-street legal vehicles are prohibited on NRA paved roadways intended for highway vehicle use. Non-street legal OHV use is prohibited in developed facilities without direct sand access (Waxmrytle, Lagoon and Bluebill campgrounds).

Closed the areas south of Horsefall Beach Road to provide non-motorized experiences

consistent with the areas hiking and equestrian trails. Noise Control Buffer established. OHV facilities were converted trom 24 hour use to day-use only; Horsfall, South Jetty, and Goosepasture, as well as any future construction. Night riding curfews were

established; South Jetty to Siltcoos 10pm-6 am, and Horsfall to Tenmile midnight to 6 am. Quiet hours between 10pm and 6 am established in campgrounds, except for Horsfall and Spinreel Campgrounds (midnight to 6 am). OHV use prohibited at South Jetty Beach Access. OHVs are restricted to a limited number of designated routes in wetlands and other vegetated areas. (Primary direction was to secure the designated routes from the previous plan in high quality wetlands between open riding areas and the beach).

1995: Closed Waxmrytle Road, Oregon State Parks prohibited OHV use on beach trom Waxmyrtle Road to Takenitch Closure.

1996:

Most Wetland area designated routes are signed and managed. 1997: Overflow camping in the Siltcoos Overflow was prohibited to protect wetland resources.

2005: Designated 135 OHV Dispersed Campsites and established permit system.

Situation Today:
.    "Fonnally" designated OHV routes are limited to those identified in the 1994 plan.
   These are generally located between staging areas and open riding areas (upland portion
   of 10C), and between open riding areas and the beach (wetland portions of 1OC). All
   routes currently designated are within the north and south riding areas. There are
   currently no designated routes within the middle riding area.
.    Only limited portions of Management Area 10 (C) are subject to fonnal closure orders,
   whereby the prohibition of riding off of designated routes can be enforced. Closure
   orders are in place in the wetland areas of Management Area 10 (C), with the exception
   of the area adjacent to Umpqua Beach.

Travel Management Rule (36 CFR 212, Subpart B, Designation of Roads, Trails, and Areas for Motor Vehicle Use) -Requirements and Effect on OHV Designated Routes Situation: HigWightsof the Rule:
.    Adopted in 2005, with a requirement for implementation by 2010.
.    The rule requires each national forest or ranger district to designate those roads, trails,
   and areas open to motor vehicles.
.    Once designation is comvlete. the rule will vrohibit motor vehicle use off the designated
   system or inconsistent with the desiwations.
.    Designations will be shown on a motor vehicle use mav. Use inconsistent with the
   designations will be prohibited.

Situation after January 2010 (approximate date for implementation of Travel Management Rule decision on Siuslaw National Forest):

. Those existing routes in Management Area 10 (C) that are shown on the "motor vehicle use map" will become the "designated routes", and motor vehicle use will be prohibited off of those routes.

. Specific closure orders will no longer be necessary in order for the motor vehicle use prohibition to be enforceable.

. Forest realizes that the Designated Routes Working Group process, and subsequent

NEPA process is likely to result in identification of additional routes to be designated in Management Area 10(C). In this interim period, between implementation of the Travel Management Rule decision and a final decision on other designated routes, the emphasis

will be on education, not enforcement.

[SANDDEMON]

We need to make copy's of all  this and get it to all the Bike shops in our home towns. And every neighbor with a  quad.
I am doing this in my area.

[Sandflicker]

We really need to let as many people know as possible.

Hunters - Campers - Horse people - Fishermen - 

I know the dunes may not affect them - but this whole thing definitely will.

[Dune Dude]

Here is the press release from the Center for Biological Diversity about the Riley Ranch Lawsuit:

It will only get worse.  They do not want anyone on Public Lands especially OHV riders! 

DD


   


E-mail this page
More press releases

For Immediate Release, December 7, 2009
Contact:     Francis Eatherington, Umpqua Watersheds, (541) 643-1309
Josh Laughlin, Cascadia Wildlands, (541) 434-1463
Sarah Peters, Wildlands CPR, (406) 543-9551
Doug Heiken, Oregon Wild, (541) 344-0675
Noah Greenwald, Center for Biological Diversity, (503) 484-7495
Susan Jane Brown, Western Environmental Law Center, (503) 914-1323

Conservation Groups Sue to Protect Roadless Area From Off-road Vehicles in
Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

EUGENE, Ore.— Five environmental groups filed a lawsuit today against the U.S. Forest Service to stop construction of a new road for off-road vehicles, or ORVs, in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The lawsuit challenges the Forest Service’s approval of the Riley Ranch Access Project, which involves building a 14- to 24-foot-wide motor vehicle route through the heart of both an inventoried roadless area and a section of the Oregon Dunes that has long been closed to motor vehicle use. The groups are particularly concerned that the new road will exacerbate existing problems with unlawful ORV riding within the dunes’ unique and highly sensitive habitats.

 “The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is something to truly behold,” says Josh Laughlin of Eugene-based Cascadia Wildlands. “We have a world-class treasure right here in our backyard that is being seriously damaged by reckless and illegal ORV activity. It is time to draw a line in the sand.” 

 “Going to the Oregon Dunes is like stepping into another world,” says Francis Eatherington of Roseburg-based Umpqua Watersheds. “Unfortunately, it’s becoming rare to experience this incredible place without hearing the constant buzz of engines and seeing tire tracks driven through sensitive and protected areas. Things have gotten out of hand, and the Forest Service isn’t doing anything about it.”

The Oregon Dunes is the most extensive and unique expanse of sand dunes along the Pacific Coast. The area contains rare geologic features found nowhere else in the world, several “globally significant plant communities,” five sensitive plant species, critical habitat for the snowy plover, a threatened shorebird, and amazing opportunities for hikers and bird watchers. The Oregon Dunes was established by an act of Congress in 1972 for “public outdoor recreation use and enjoyment” and for “the conservation of scenic, scientific, historic, and other values contributing to pubic enjoyment.”

“The Oregon Dunes already contain thousands of acres open to ORVs,” says Noah Greenwald, endangered species program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Creating a new road in the roadless area is not necessary or in the public interest.”

Since 2004, the Forest Service and county sheriff have documented increasing “lawlessness” and “gang-like mentality” among groups of ORV riders within the Oregon Dunes. The rowdy culture has forced the Forest Service to conclude that it is unsafe for three or four armed law-enforcement officers, much less unarmed agency employees, to make courtesy or enforcement contacts, even during daylight hours.

“The Forest Service should not expand the motorized trail system unless it is able to protect the globally rare dunes ecosystems from the unlawful ORV use that is already going on,” says Doug Heiken of Oregon Wild. “The Forest Service is unable to do their job now, yet they want to grow the problem by expanding the trail system in sensitive areas.”

“The Forest Service needs to step up and give these serious issues the attention they deserve,” says Sarah Peters of Wildlands CPR. “The Oregon Dunes should not be treated as if it is just for motorized users, but should be managed to preserve and protect wildlife habitat, as well as nonmotorized recreation opportunities.”

The parties are represented in the litigation by Susan Jane Brown of the Western Environmental Law Center and Dan Kruse of Cascadia Wildlands.

[SANDDEMON]

So many markets are being destroyed by this and other bills here in Oregon not to mention 66-67 that just passed.
Tourism, recreation, economy's in areas affected most - Florence- Winchester - Coos Bay. What happens to Dune Fest and Sand Fest? Suppliers, manufacturers?  Are those people that blind/arrogant? 

[Dune Dude]

Wow!  Where should I start on this stinky pile of enviro self-righteousness?

 “The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is something to truly behold,” says Josh Laughlin of Eugene-based Cascadia Wildlands. “We have a world-class treasure right here in our backyard that is being seriously damaged by reckless and illegal ORV activity. It is time to draw a line in the sand.”

So they mean all riders in the sand are there illegally?!  Because we know all riders are just a bunch of drunken inbreeds that are only there to destroy nature.

“The Oregon Dunes already contain thousands of acres open to ORVs,” says Noah Greenwald, endangered species program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Creating a new road in the roadless area is not necessary or in the public interest.”

Wow! thousands of acres.  Or he meant to say currently only 36% of the ODNRA is open to riding and they want to reduce us down to 21%.  That should be enough for the 100,000's of visitors that ride the ODNRA each year.  As opposed to the dozens of hikers, hand full of bird watchers.  Oh, that's right, these groups can use all 100% of the ODNRA.  I hope they have enough room    Originally riders could go everywhere in the ODNRA and that has slowly been taken away since the early 1990's.  How can he justify that it is not in the public interest?  More riders should equal more riding opportunities not less.  A brochure that used to be available a few years ago claimed riders had access to over 14,000 acres.  That would be half of the ODNRA.  Today it is down to around 10,000 acres with more to loose.  Soon you will have to enter a lottery to win a permit to ride in the ODNRA.  Too Many riders in a small place will be dangerous.  The U.S.F. S. will only start letting so many in.  Gee, I hope I win..

“The Forest Service needs to step up and give these serious issues the attention they deserve,” says Sarah Peters of Wildlands CPR. “The Oregon Dunes should not be treated as if it is just for motorized users, but should be managed to preserve and protect wildlife habitat, as well as nonmotorized recreation opportunities.”

Sarah,  look at my argument above.  We keep getting less and less. Let me know when OHV riders got anything.  I'll wait..  

Since 2004, the Forest Service and county sheriff have documented increasing “lawlessness” and “gang-like mentality” among groups of ORV riders within the Oregon Dunes. The rowdy culture has forced the Forest Service to conclude that it is unsafe for three or four armed law-enforcement officers, much less unarmed agency employees, to make courtesy or enforcement contacts, even during daylight hours.

OMG!  Did they make this up?  Gang mentality, drunken behavior, and lawlessness has all decreased since 2004.  The ban on alcohol in the sand and designated camping sites make the dunes a great family place.  The above quote is pure propaganda to paint OHV riders as unlawful folk.  This is far from the truth.  More and more families are riding in the ODNRA and that would not happen if it was "Lord of the Flies" in the sand.

The U.S.F.S. should be looking at opening up other areas for OHV users to ride.  I understand the need to protect wetlands and wildlife.  Yet, the dunes have a lot more acres that are open sand that we should be allowed in.  If OHV activities are removed from the dunes they will disappear in 50 years!  Beach grass will quickly consume the ancient sand and non-native evasive grasses and weeds will take over killing a great and unique eco-system.

I wonder how many of these "haters" ever visit the dunes?  Not very often I bet!

[SANDDEMON]

OLD GROWTH FIGHT SEQUEL II.  I need to win the lottery, I would hire a legal team and all the "specialist" I could find to fight these ass h---. Buy air time on state wide television and expose them for what they are ....piles of s---.

Any more info on  the Blue ribbon people and how to donate $$$$$ for the fight?? And who will manage the funds? LINK?

Thanks guys for keeping us updated on this.

[Dune Dude]

SandDemon,

We will let you know how to donate in the near future.  Thanks for all of your help!

DD

[Sandflicker]

Yes - that was my questions too.

I know they're on board - and it's just going to take a little time to get things set up.

[Dune Dude]

This will anger up the blood!  We as ATV riders and tax payers, fund the Enviro Groups to sue the Government and close down our trails!  Riley Ranch lawsuit is a way for the Center For Biological Diversity to make money.  Read the report below that the ASA published in their February Newsletter: 

www.americansandassociation.org/files/newsletter/currentnl.pdf  pg 17




DD

[SANDDEMON]

 
Thats nuts   thats wrong wrong wrong wrong
it has to be  stopped

[RTOYZ]

What's wrong, wrong, Wrong is the People we have in Office, It's Happening everywhere. Now that 66 & 67 have passed the Dumb Ass governor has decided that we like to pay more tax and get screwed, so he wants to not give back the tax kicker that he had promised, but rather divert it else where. We need a major change in Government.

[Sandflicker]

Pat - I couldn't agree with you more!!! 

[SANDDEMON]

Yes Pat we do.
In this Sate and this Country

[Sandflicker]

Now their asking we pass a sales tax - Doesn't everybody know a sales tax was just passed with 67 -
I don't get it? Charge a company a tax - company adds tax to cost of goods - WHO PAYS?? 

[Dune Dude]

Here is what a few decades can do to our riding area when they keep us out of the sand.  The top picture is from the 1962.  Not much riding going on then unless it was dune buggies and jeeps.  The late 70's would have three wheeler's shredding some sand and this area was open to ride on until the 1996 closures.  Since then you can see the change in just 14 short years.  Close it off and we have no more dunes!!

[SANDDEMON]

the proof we  need for our case against the greenies

[Dune Dude]

Here is one example of what we will lose.  This in one proposal for the Florence area dunes.  This section is the North East corner by South Jetty Staging.  The yellow lines indicate the many trails.  I guessing it is about 80% of what is actually there.  The blue lines are the designated trails or already approved.  The pink lines are what we would get (notice it is not much!)  The rest would be closed 
This is just one proposal but, the others are not any better.





DD

[Rkangel]

No two ways about it, that just plain stinks...

[SANDDEMON]

THAT SUCKS.
IF THAT PICTURE DOESN'T WAKE UP FELLOW RIDERS TO WHAT THE GREENIES ARE DOING I DONT KNOW WHAT WILL.
MY QUESTION IS WHEN ARE WE GANNA SUE THE STATE FOR FAILING TO PROTECT THE DUNES AND KEEPING THIS BRUSH FROM TAKING OVER THE DUNES.
COME ON  , THINK ABOUT THE OVER GROWTH OF THIS VEGETATION IN THE LAST 40 YEARS. WE HAVE THE PICTURES TO SHOW IT.
SO IN THE NEXT 20 -40 YEARS AS THE BRUSH  CLOSES THE DUNES OFF MORE DO WE GET ANOTHER " RIDE THRU" AND MORE CLOSURES?
HELL YES.

STOP THEM NOW - OR LOOSE THE THE DUNES

[Sandflicker]

Yea Sanddemon,

it's the ol' you put a frog in boiling water and he'll jump out - but put him in warm water and turn up the heat and be pleased to stay until boiling.
For those that don't believe it's happening (IT'S HAPPENING).

[Rkangel]

I've posted the map and link on some other forums as well.  I plan on printing copies and passing them out as well.

Do you have any similar maps of the south side of Florence?

BTW, I should probably go and introduce myself in "introduce yourself"   

[SANDDEMON]

Thanks for doing that, the more info out there the better.
And yes tell us more about yourself......

[Dune Dude]

Here is a news paper article that was done on March 10th.  We are not sure what to think of the statements?!?

They make it sound as if there is nothing to worry about and all is well.  Maybe this is the case?  Maybe they are trying to calm the storm that is coming from the riders?  Not sure what to believe at this point.  I am going to make the meeting and the tour on April 16th and 17th.  I can let you know then where this is heading.

» Off-highway forest maps arrive soon

© The Umpqua Post.
By Alex Powers, Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 | No comments posted.
Dunes routes won't be established until 2011
U.S. Forest Service district ranger Pam Gardner announced at a city council meeting last week that off-highway maps for the Siuslaw National Forest will arrive at the beginning of April. The maps were delayed from a January release date, she said, after her office ran into printing problems.

Not much will change for ATV riders on nearby sand dunes when the map is unveiled. It details off-road use in the Siuslaw National Forest, according to forest service staff members.

Officials identified off-highway routes throughout much of the national forest after 2005, when the Forest Service required federal land managers to create travel management plans.

But forest managers will wait until at least 2011 to identify routes in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area as stakeholders continue to discuss the impact of proposed trails.

Sharon Stewart, a dispersed recreation supervisor for the Siuslaw National Forest, said staff for now will try to educate dunes users about the maps and stakeholder process.

“We’re trying to educate people where we’re designating trails,” Stewart said. “We’re not going to fence it closed, but we are going to let people know about the process and what it means.”

The 15-stakeholder group met late last year at the Dunes NRA’s middle riding area near Winches-ter Bay. At that meeting, the group established 16 criteria that will be used to evaluate proposed routes through vegetated areas.

In a 1994 off-highway vehicle management plan, the Siuslaw National Forest staff identified 4,455 acres — about 15 percent of the Dunes NRA — of vegetated areas that contain ATV routes. That land, designated 10C in the forest’s 1994 off-highway vehicle management plan, has long been a focus of contentious debate between stakeholders.

One sticking point in stakeholder discussions is whether non-native plants should be protected from ATV use, said Ross Holloway.

The forest service contracted with Holloway to facilitate public stakeholder meetings for the national forest. He said ATV proponents are concerned vegetation is consuming available riding area.

“A lot of the area that’s open sand has been revegetating,” Holloway said. “That seems to be a real key point of interest.”

Stakeholders at a meeting in Florence earlier this year discussed the effects of European beach grass, regarded as an invasive species by federal agencies.

“You’ve got a lot of forested area that had been European beach grass, then trees grew in,” Holloway said. “They’re plantations, not natural stands.”

Holloway said aerial photos in the forest’s 1994 off-road plan are starkly different from more recent aerial photos.

“It’s pretty dramatic how much more of that has been covered by vegetation,” Holloway said.

Conservationists, however, have long said the forest supports wildlife, Holloway said. At the stakeholder work group’s last meeting, in Florence, John Getz, who represents commercial mushroom pickers, said many of the forest plantations have become economic anchors for people who harvest matsutake mushrooms and other fungi growing in the woods.

Once the group weighs the impact from ATV use in vegetated areas, it should propose by fall how 10C lands will be utilized. Proposals could include anything from completely opening 10C areas to closing them outright.

That proposal will go to forest staff. They will form an internal group to hear public comment and finalize routes in the Oregon Dunes 10C areas.

The identified routes will be recorded in the forest’s federally prescribed travel, which will be updated each year, Stewart said. After that, ATV rider education will become the forest’s largest concern.

Holloway said some riders may be confused by the requirements of the federal travel management plan. Currently, 12,440 acres of the 24,940-acre Dunes NRA is open to unrestricted ATV access, except in areas marked with trails to reduce ATV noise or protect vegetation. Under the new policy, all land is assumed closed unless otherwise specified.

“It reversed everything,” Holloway said.

Stewart said lands other than 10C are unaffected. She also said she believes the stakeholder work group could recommend severe changes, but she doubts it will.

“Are we going to attempt to close the routes that are pre-existing? I would guess not,” she said.

link to story:

http://www.theumpquapost.com/articles/2010/03/10/local_news/doc4b96bcdcf25ce259807114.txt
Posted on: April 06, 2010, 06:52:39 PMHere are the links for the maps that they are using for discussion and proposals of the three riding areas:

Northern area Florence -
ftp://ftp2.fs.fed.us/incoming/r6/siu/10C%20Process/Northern%20Ride%20Area/

Middle area Winchester Bay -
ftp://ftp2.fs.fed.us/incoming/r6/siu/10C%20Process/Middle%20Ride%20Area/

Southern area Coos Bay/North Bend -
ftp://ftp2.fs.fed.us/incoming/r6/siu/10C%20Process/Southern%20Ride%20Area/

DD

[SANDDEMON]

Thanks D.D. for the update.
Sure wish we could buy T.V. - cable time, and run alot of adds in news papers. I  know it costs $$$$ and every ones hurting now. But the other side is using this against us knowing we cant afford to fight. Things you have written sure need to get out to people and not just riders - the public at large.

[Sandflicker]

Sanddemon

You're right but I don't know how (with limited fund) how to do this, we don't have money to advertise Sandfest?

You know a place we hope to add awareness.  Everybody has to do there part, and really most don't even get it.

If the people being hurt by this don't believe - how?   Help me I'm frustrated.